title: Association of serum carotenoid levels with urinary albumin excretion in a general Japanese population: the Yakumo study.
abstract: BACKGROUND
  Albuminuria is a risk factor for not only nephropathy progression but also cardiovascular disease. Oxidative stress may have a role in the positive association between albuminuria and cardiovascular disease.
  
  
  METHODS
  This cross-sectional study investigated the associations of serum levels of carotenoids, which are dietary antioxidants, with albuminuria among 501 Japanese adults (198 men, mean age ± SD: 66.4 ± 10.0 years; 303 women, mean age ± SD: 65.4 ± 9.8 years) who attended a health examination. Serum levels of carotenoids were determined by high-performance liquid chromatography. Logistic regression analysis was used to estimate odds ratios (ORs) with 95% CIs for albuminuria after adjustment for age, body mass index, smoking habits, drinking habits, hypertension, diabetes mellitus, and dyslipidemia.
  
  
  RESULTS
  Prevalence of albuminuria was 15.4% among men and 18.1% among women. Among women with albuminuria, geometric mean serum levels of canthaxanthin, lycopene, β-carotene, total carotenes, and provitamin A were significantly lower than those of normoalbuminuric women. Adjusted ORs for albuminuria among women in the highest tertiles of serum β-carotene (OR, 0.45; 95% CI, 0.20-0.98) and provitamin A (OR, 0.45; 95% CI, 0.20-0.97) were significantly lower as compared with those for women in the lowest tertile. There were no associations between serum carotenoids and albuminuria in men.
  
  
  CONCLUSIONS
  An increased level of serum provitamin A, especially serum β-carotene, was independently associated with lower risk of albuminuria among Japanese women.
authors.affiliation: Department of Public Health, Fujita Health University School of Health Sciences.
authors.forename: Koji
authors.initials: K
authors.lastname: Suzuki
authors.forename: Hisashi
authors.initials: H
authors.lastname: Honjo
authors.forename: Naohiro
authors.initials: N
authors.lastname: Ichino
authors.forename: Keisuke
authors.initials: K
authors.lastname: Osakabe
authors.forename: Keiko
authors.initials: K
authors.lastname: Sugimoto
authors.forename: Hiroya
authors.initials: H
authors.lastname: Yamada
authors.forename: Yasuhiro
authors.initials: Y
authors.lastname: Kusuhara
authors.forename: Rika
authors.initials: R
authors.lastname: Watarai
authors.forename: Takeshi
authors.initials: T
authors.lastname: Hamajima
authors.forename: Nobuyuki
authors.initials: N
authors.lastname: Hamajima
authors.forename: Takashi
authors.initials: T
authors.lastname: Inoue
mesh_terms: D000368:Aged; D000369:Aged, 80 and over; D000419:Albuminuria / Q000453:epidemiology*; D015415:Biomarkers / Q000097:blood; D002338:Carotenoids / Q000097:blood*; D003430:Cross-Sectional Studies; D005260:Female; D006801:Humans; D007564:Japan / Q000453:epidemiology; D008297:Male; D008875:Middle Aged; D018570:Risk Assessment; D017678:Sex Distribution; D019207:beta Carotene / Q000097:blood
chemical_list: D015415:Biomarkers; D019207:beta Carotene; D002338:Carotenoids